Tarnished Halo
by fearlessly
Summary: This takes place in the girls' restroom after Kurt slushies himself for Finn's benefit in 01x08 - Mashup.


"Someone get me to a day spa, stat!" Kurt spews, as crystals of grape-flavoured ice fly everywhere.

Mercedes, Rachel, and Tina quickly lead him into the girls' restroom to get him cleaned up. Luckily, Kurt is wearing his clear designer raincoat so his clothes are still intact, but the coat did nothing to protect his face from the ice shower he just gave himself – thanks to Finn's cowardice.

Once safely in the bathroom, the girls begin to fuss over Kurt's hair and face, dabbing at it with wet paper towels. "There's cleanser in my bag," he says, as slick goop slides down his chin. "And thankfully I brought my moisturizer with me today."

Tina dips her fingers into his bandana collar, fishing for chunks of ice. Kurt hisses as the wetness drips down his neck. "Slushie-ing one's self doesn't hurt any less than when someone else does it."

"That was really b-b-brave," Tina says.

"Yeah, there's no way Finn would've done that for you if the tables were turned," Mercedes adds.

Kurt sighs because now he knows it's true. He admits to himself that he doesn't know a lot about Finn, aside from his boy-next-door good looks and the talents he sees in Glee club; but, he never thought Finn would turn his back on one of his fellow Glee Clubbers. Kurt thinks Finn had a little more integrity than that.

Rachel, who has been surprisingly quiet up to this point, retrieves the cleanser from Kurt's bag and runs the water so that Kurt can apply it. "He didn't want to do it, guys," she says, "but those Neanderthals on the football team pressured him into it!"

"No one can make another person do anything they don't want to, Rachel," Kurt mumbles as he contorts his face in the mirror in order to get the cleanser on evenly.

Tina finishes wiping the sticky grape syrup off Kurt's coat and Mercedes picks chunks of ice out of his hair just as the bell rings for their next class.

"You girls go," Kurt says. "There's no sense in all of us being late. Besides, ever since I gave her fashion advice, Mrs. Doosenbury has taken a liking to me. She'll let me off with a warning."

"I'll c-c-catch you later K-Kurt," Tina says, picking up her books.

"I can stay," Rachel says, even though she doesn't want to miss a moment of her third-period lecture. Four-point-oh grade point averages don't grow on trees, after all.

"No, Rachel, you go. I'll stay with him," Mercedes says. I have Mrs. Doosenbury too. If I'm with Kurt she'll let me off with a warning; there's strength in numbers."

Tina and Rachel exit the bathroom, leaving Kurt and Mercedes to finish cleaning up. When Mercedes turns back to Kurt she sees that he is staring at himself in the mirror, subconsciously patting his face dry with a paper towel. His mind seems a long ways away.

"Boo? Are you okay?" Kurt regards Mercedes via the mirror's reflection. The look that she sees in his eyes breaks her heart.

"His halo is tarnished," he says solemnly.

"What do you mean?"

"For a long time now, I thought I had a crush on the bravest boy in this school." Kurt blushes because that's the first time he's blatantly admitted his crush. But it's Mercedes. He trusts her. "I mean, I like him _because_ he's brave … or I thought he was."

"I don't know him very well," Mercedes admits, "but don't you think it's possible for brave people to have moments when they're not so brave?"

"Of course, Mercedes, but… I don't know," he shrugs. "I just see him in a little bit of a different light now."

Mercedes stays silent as she offers up his moisturizer.

"I mean, he's still dreamy and handsome as ever," Kurt adds, "but I guess I see now that he's just a normal boy. I've had him up on a pedestal for a while now."

"I'm sorry boo. It sucks when the person you like disappoints you."

Kurt nods as he squeezes the lotion out onto the pads of his fingers. "I am disappointed in him. He chose the bullies instead of the people who have actually had his back this entire year. He was too much of a coward to stand up for not only us, but himself."

"Preach, Kurt."

"I don't know if I could ever be with a boy who doesn't have courage." Kurt looks in the mirror then and works the moisturizer into his fair clean skin.

"We don't know what he's really going through," Mercedes suggests. "And with Quinn's pregnancy he must be under a lot of pressure. Everyone has their demons and everyone has their reasons. Maybe you should give him a chance."

"Of course I will, Mercedes. I'll give him a chance to redeem himself. Who knows what the future holds for us. I just … I'm not that lovesick kid anymore who has heart eyes for the first cute boy that walks by. He or whoever I end up being with is going to have to bring more to the table than a dashing smile and a cute butt."

Mercedes laughs. "You had it bad for him."

"I did," Kurt sighs. "And maybe I still do. But it's different now. My eyes are wide open. And he's going to have to prove himself, not to me per se, but to Glee Club – we have always accepted him wholeheartedly."

"You are wise beyond your years, Kurt Hummel," Mercedes says as she buckles up Kurt's bag and hands it to him. "Now let's get to class before they send out the search party."

Before they walk out of the restroom, Kurt stops Mercedes with his hand on her elbow. "Thank you Mercedes. You're the only true friend I have here."

"Aww boo, it's my pleasure. But I think soon you're going to have a lot of friends in this school. You're brave, you're courageous, and you're not afraid to take one for the team. People like that."

"I wish boys liked that," he says with an eye roll.

"You'll find one, Kurt. You'll find one just as brave and courageous as you. You'll see."


End file.
